Qld infectious disease nurse has COVID-19

An infectious diseases nurse treating COVID-19 patients in a Brisbane hospital has tested positive to the illness.

The nurse had been working in the infectious diseases unit at the Princess Alexandra Hospital when she began feeling unwell.

She stayed home when symptoms emerged and notified her bosses immediately. The nurse is now resting in isolation.

The hospital is covered by the Metro South Public Health unit, which has told six other staff members who came into contact with the nurse to self-isolate for the required 14 days.

Most of the other cases are patients who have travelled overseas, or have had direct contact with a confirmed case who had travelled overseas.

Anyone is eligible for testing if they have or had a fever, or acute respiratory symptoms, and in the past 14 days had contact with a confirmed case or were overseas.

Testing is also available for people with those symptoms and who work in health care, aged or residential care, the military, correction facilities, detention centres and boarding schools, live in Brisbane, Cairns, the Gold Coast or a First Nations community.

Queensland Health is urging anyone who meets this criteria for testing to contact a doctor immediately and call ahead before visiting a clinic.